Matsushita's words reminded Kishita Sanjo of the records in the Imperial Secret Manual.

A thousand years ago, they couldn't even be called a country; they were just local indigenous tribes with very casual names, or exiled convicts.

Later, their ancestor, a woman named Guan Ying, said that she had obtained the "secret to immortality" from a faraway place.

She wielded an extremely powerful weapon and led them to conquer the land, annihilating four kingdoms in one fell swoop and establishing the Eastern Li Empire.

Unfortunately, our ancestor had a flaw—he was a womanizer.

After conquering the continent, the general locked the princes of various royal families in cages and asked her if she wanted to kill them.

She drooled over these men, calling them "ancient beauties," and despite everyone's objections, she took them all as her male concubines.

She fed them a homemade poison that wouldn't kill them, but would make them obedient.

Later, there was a man who was exceptionally handsome and extremely unruly. No matter what methods they used, they could not tame him. Guan Ying tried to poison him, but he instead conspired with other men to drug Guan Ying, set a fire, and perish together with her.

By the time everyone rescued Guan Ying, she was on the verge of death.

Before she died, she said she came from a thousand years in the future.

She also said that she knew the secret of immortality and might have been reincarnated somewhere, and told them to wait for her return.

Everyone in Dongli Kingdom believed it.

After her death, the Dongli Kingdom recorded her name in its history and called her "Empress Shenwu". She was also the only female emperor of the Dongli Kingdom.

However, only the ancestor knew about the powerful weapons, and only she knew the formula for the poison.

Later, heroes and outstanding figures emerged on the land, and Dongli Kingdom was quickly defeated and forced to flee back to the island. The other countries on the land hated them and attacked them every time they saw them. Dongli Kingdom kept its tail between its legs for many, many years.

The Kingdom of Dongli misses Guan Ying and has always wanted to find her reincarnation.

They devoted themselves to Buddhist practice, and the monks who "attained enlightenment" were sent by the royal family to travel to countries such as Xiandou and Pyu.

Royal families of various countries disliked the people of Dongli, but they respected monks who transcended worldly concerns. As a result, being a monk in Dongli Kingdom was once the best profession in Dongli Kingdom.

The Dongli royal family has always wanted to leave the island and expand their territory to the entire mainland again... They built a temple for Guan Ying, hoping for the return of their ancestor.

They've been searching.

They continuously infiltrated various countries, including Xiandou, Pyu, Tubo, and Nanzhao, where they had spies. They established "soul-summoning arrays" in these countries, but they couldn't say they were summoning their ancestors; they claimed they were summoning saints and Buddhas.

The eminent monks of Xiandou, Pyu, and Tubo are truly waiting for the return of the Holy Buddha after his tribulations.

On the contrary, these countries, which were engaged in major conflicts, always kept one eye open and were wary of the Eastern Li Kingdom, and were unable to infiltrate it.

...

Thinking of this, the three under the tree frowned and said, "According to the scouts, His Majesty Emperor An is not lustful! She is a famous noblewoman of the Great Gan Dynasty, and her manners and etiquette are exemplary. This is nothing like our ancestor."

Their ancestor was extremely lustful and boasted that he would open a "harem" and keep a large number of male concubines.

"Being lustful is merely a matter of personal cultivation. If the ancestor were to be reincarnated into the Xie family, a family of great wealth and honor with strict rules and etiquette, it is entirely possible that the ancestor would change his old habits!"

Matsushita insisted that Xie Zhaozhao was their ancestor, saying, "Emperor An opened up sea routes right under Emperor Hui's nose, occupied wild and uncivilized lands, and conquered thirty-six northern prefectures. It is said that he used a new weapon that opened up mountains and cleared roads. No man can match his courage!"

The Third Prince excitedly said, "Grand Preceptor, if she is our ancestor, we can live forever and dominate the world for countless generations."

Only the ancestor of the Eastern Li Kingdom has such ability and courage!

The Jade Dragon Kingdom was annexed by Dongli, and the Nanzhao, Tubo, and Western Xia kingdoms were all conquered. The world was unified, and no one could rival us!

Matsushita shook his head: "She may not be the ancestor!"

“She must be the ancestor; her memories just haven’t been awakened yet! As we approach the palace, the soul array’s fluctuations intensify. Who else could be in the palace besides her?” The three figures under the tree were certain and confident.

After being told by the Third Prince, Matsushita also felt that Xie Zhaozhao was most likely the ancestor.

"Go to Tokyo to investigate Emperor An's past!" Matsushita said. "I request permission from His Majesty Emperor An to visit the Living Buddha Yuanji at Huguo Temple."

The two were having a private conversation when a guard outside the door announced that Zhe Rinpoche had come to visit.

"Please come in quickly."

Matsushita immediately invited Zhe Rinpoche in.

Zhe Rinpoche entered the room and closed the door.

He entered and immediately began speaking Dongli language, kneeling before the three trees: "Your subject greets His Highness the Third Prince."

The three under the tree squinted and remained silent. What were they up to?

Matsushita respectfully reported: "Your Highness, the mother and maternal grandmother of Zhe Rinpoche were both from Dongli and were heroes sent to Pyu by the late emperor."

Zhe Rinpoche said to the three under the tree, "Your Highness, I suspect that His Majesty Emperor An of Yulong Kingdom is the reincarnation of our ancestor."